IT ISN'T REEFER MADNESS: OREGONIANS USING MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW

The popularity of Oregon's medical marijuana program is being read as
confirmation of its success, and as proof of its vulnerability to abuse.
There are causes for concern, but none for alarm. The state is not in the
grip of reefer madness.

According to the state Department of Human Services' quarterly report on
the medical marijuana program, nearly 10,000 people have been issued cards
allowing them or their caregivers to grow small amounts of marijuana for
personal use in the treatment of chronic pain, nausea or other conditions.
That's many more than was predicted when voters approved the medical
marijuana law in 1998. Two physicians account for nearly half the medical
marijuana cards issued in the state.

Those are troubling pieces of information. The department's report implies
that a few doctors will sign a medical marijuana card application for
anyone who asks. Under those circumstances, it's a safe bet that more than
a few of the nearly 10,000 cardholders are citing vague or non-existent
medical problems as cover for recreational marijuana use.

Yet there's also evidence that the medical marijuana law is being widely
used as intended. The department reports that 1,576 doctors have signed
applications for medical marijuana cards. Toss out the two who have signed
4,579 between them, and those that remain have signed an average of three
applications apiece. This suggests that an overwhelming majority of Oregon
physicians are cautious about allowing their patients to gain access to
medical marijuana. At the same time, it shows that hundreds of physicians
recognize that marijuana has unique palliative value for some patients.

What's more, two doctors have been disciplined by the Oregon Board of
Medical Examiners after signing thousands of medical marijuana card
applications. It's likely that these are the two responsible for nearly
half the cards issued in Oregon, though it's impossible to be certain - the
state does not identify physicians participating in the medical marijuana
program. In any case, the state has shown an ability to police the
application process and has probably already dealt with its high-volume
application signers.

Oregon's medical marijuana law isn't easy to use. A doctor must attest that
the patient has a "debilitating medical condition" such as AIDS or cancer,
or is suffering from such symptoms as severe pain, nausea or muscle spasms.
No trafficking in marijuana is allowed; a cardholder or a caregiver may
possess no more than three mature and four immature marijuana plants. These
limits ensure that any abuses will be on a small scale. In November voters
defeated a proposal to loosen the medical review and increase the
quantities that cardholders may legally possess.

Giving patients access to a drug that many claim is uniquely effective has
not opened the doors to unrestricted marijuana use or possession. At a time
when the state is battling a methamphetamine epidemic, any abuses that have
occurred in the medical marijuana program do not rank among the state's
most serious drug problems. Oregonians should keep an eye on the medical
marijuana program, but for now, no urgent action is required.